


Tundra Trauma

by ArriatheDragon



Category: Carmen Sandiego (Cartoon 2019)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Blood, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family, Family Feels, Feelings, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Found Family, Gen, How Do I Tag, Hurt/Comfort, Hypothermia, Injury, Multi, Other, SO MUCH FLUFF, Season 4 Spoilers, Snow, Snow Fic, The Gangs All Here, Winter, Winter angst, epsode 6 i think? where shes in the hymilaias, irl player, it's really just Player and Carmen being pals, make that a tag we need more Dad-san, meeting player, meeting player irl, not intense tho, set durring season 4, shadow-san is best dad, what is tagging, wow my fisrt fic on here and its carmen sandiego, yeet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-15 01:40:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28930416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArriatheDragon/pseuds/ArriatheDragon
Summary: (Set in the Himalaya Episode in Season 4)Carmen didn't manage to fly out of the mountain ravine, and so a worried Player has to order for an emergency rescue, and hope they make it before Carmen subsides to the cold.Or: Player worrying about his best friend.(Also posted on FanFiction.net)
Relationships: Carmen Sandiego | Black Sheep & Shadowsan, No Romantic Relationship(s), Player & Carmen Sandiego | Black Sheep
Comments: 19
Kudos: 116





	Tundra Trauma

Carmen had been so close. So close to getting back home. 

She'd respected Gray's decision, though she majorly disagreed, and she had successfully blown up all the robots and out ran Dr. Bellum.

But now, because she missed just  _ one _ , she was hanging by the edge of a snow ridden cliff, a robot dangling off of her and all its weight with it.

She couldn't hold on, and even if she could, the mountain ledge couldn't.

A gasp followed by a scream escaped her lips as the ledge crumbled beneath her tan fingertips and the free fall began.

She tried to deploy her hang glider, but the robot was just too heavy and in the end it did nothing to help the fall.

Before she knew it she hit a hard shallow part in the mountain crevasse, and was then sent flying into its rocky walls as the overgrown robot beside her smashed into the wet pit and exploded on impact.

Green sparks and shrapnel flew in every direction, Carmen's only shield being her now destroyed hang glider and her bare hands.

She could still hear the hissing of ruined machinery as it sizzled in the snow storm.

She didn't get up from where she had fallen, in a snow filled overhanging wall. The snow was coming at her sideways so it gave little protection, but she didn't think moving was a good idea as she watched the snow beneath her turn pink drop by drop.

Her coat was torn, that was a give in. Her side had a gash and a metal shard in it and her hands were badly cut. She could more feel than see the blood dripping from her forehead, and vaguely wondered if she had a concussion.

Upon trying to sit up further, she found her back already bruising, and if the sharp unadulterated pain filtering through her torso was any indication, she was sure she'd broken a few ribs.

Or, as simply as Carmen liked to put it: Climbing out wasn't even  _ close  _ to an option.

She slowly checked herself for anything useful.

Grappling hook, ear bud, broken glider, her torch had fallen with the robot, annddd a granola bar, thanks to Ivy.

It hit her what she deemed too long to realise that  _ earbud _ should have registered as important the moment she found it to still be in her ear (though she had no idea how).

If she had the ear bud, she had Player, and if she had Player, she could be tracked.

Maybe she wasn't doomed after all?

She pressed two fingers to her ear and waited. She worried a second as radio fuzz came through at first, but then practically melted in relief as a loud and worried Player came through.

"-armen? CARMEN!?" 

She winced, and then coughed, subtly noting that the fact blood came with it probably wasn't good.

"I'm here Player," she rasped out, "uh- not so loud?"

She heard shuffling and sigh.

"Right. Sorry. What happened?" Player asked anxiously.

Carmen shifted uncomfortably. "Long story but uh- I fell off a cliff and a robot exploded on me. Kinds have metal lodged in my side and I doubt I could stand up alone. Think you could track me?"

A beat of silence passed before Player answered.

"Y-yeah, yeah I can track you, Red," he said, voice strained and misty.

Carmen smiled to herself. "I'm gonna be okay Player."

She heard Player hum on the other side.

"Okay, I got your location and I'm sending it to Shadow-San and the others. I’m not leaving ‘till they find you, got it?" He announced firmly, and she knew there was no arguing with the kid.

"Roger," she replied.

Her body was starting to painfully numb, a needle like pricking taking over and she sucked in a deep breath before letting it out slowly.

She hoped her team hurried, she could only last so long in the tundra blizzard with a torn coat and blood loss looming in her near future.

"Yo Red, talk to me," Player spoke up in a steady but anxious tone.

"I told you, I'm okay Player," Carmen reassured again, though as the seconds passed she wasn't sure how true it was.

"You won't be if you fall asleep," Player retorted sharply.

Carmen huffed out a wheezy laugh.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Tell the twins to hurry, would ya?"

Clicking noises and then- "They're headed your way, but the flights… Shadow-San will reach you first, probably."

She noted the worry in his voice and the fact she wasn't told exactly the time of the flights. 

So an hour or more, wonderful.

*******

She didn't know how long it'd been, all she knew was that she was numb and  _ tired. _

Player had taken to rambling a while ago, and asked her questions frequently, not going on until he got an answer from her.

Now something he said caught her dazed attention, her teeth chattering as she spoke up.

"W-wait Player, w-what was t-that l-last thing?" She asked slowly.

"You mean what I just said? Shadow-San just landed. He's coming," Player repeated slowly.

Somehow, that information didn't get the reaction she thought she'd give.

A simple hum was all she could manage, her eyes feeling heavier than they had seconds ago.

Player bristled with anxiety at the silence on the other side of the earbud. He could  _ hear  _ the  _ wind. _

"Red? Red are there? Car- Carmen!?" He shouted.

He was relieved at a wheezy gasp on the other end.

"I- I'm here P-player," a pause, "b-but you m-might want to h-hurry."

Player tensed. "Shadow-Sans coming. He's almost there just  _ hold on Carm. _ "

He quickly muted her a second and contacted Shadow-San. 

His voice was fast and anxious.

"Shadow-San  _ please tell me you're almost at her coords." _

"I am almost there. I'm on a cliff but I can't see her. It says she's right here?" The man sounded confused and just as worried as Player.

Player switched back to Carmen.

"Carmen, Shadow-San is there, where are you?"

No answer.

"Carmen!? 

Heavy breathing.

"Carmen  _ please _ !?"

He waited and waited and after what felt like an hour he heard a raspy "ravine" and then a sickening thud and crackling noise.

All noise from Carmen's end stopped.

He switched back to Shadow-San and practically screamed her location.

"SHE IN THE RAVINE HURRY!"

He got an affirmative huff from Shadow-San and the sound of something being thrown.

Every minute of Shadow-San climbing down the Ravine was pure agony for Player, he could only imagine how bad Carmen was.

He snapped back as Shadow-San spoke again. 

"I'm at the bottom, looking now."

More minutes. Minutes Carmen  _ didn't have. _

He wouldn't tell her till she was fully recovered and safe, but she'd been down there two and a half hours.

She needed out now.

A sharp gasp and the crunching of snow came from his mic.

"What is it? Did you find her!?" Player interrogated

"I've… I've got her. Gosh- Player call an ambulance for the nearest city."

Player couldn’t breathe for a split second, but didn’t even waste time to ask why Shadow-San had sounded so distressed and just followed his orders.

*******

Shadow-San had slung Carmen over his back after wrapping her in a thick blanket.

Her tan lips were blue, and she was oh so pale. Blood was frozen red to her side and her hands had been mutilated with shrapnel and cuts.

Small bits of metal were frozen to her face.

If it weren't for the below freezing temperatures, she would've probably bled out.

But that was another problem, there were patches of dark skin on her arms, and Shadow-San prayed he made it before it became official frostbite.

He got out of the mountain as fast as his legs could carry him, leaving all mountain gear behind.

He didn't have time to pick it up.

*******

He'd made it down the mountains to the nearest city, it was snow covered, but an ambulance waiting.

He got in for the trip. Ivy and Zac met them there.

*******

Three days and Carmen was still out cold, literally. 

Player had come, and the twins took to teasing him about his height, which helped lessen the stress.

They were staying in a hotel nearby, set up by their one and only tech whiz, but spent most hours at the hospital, waiting on a verdict.

They didn't even care about V.I.L.E for the time being. Carmen mattered more.

*******

A week, and finally, Carmen was awake.

Only allowed one visitor for now, but  _ awake. _

Player desperately wanted to see her, but wouldn't say anything until whoever wanted to go first spoke up.

He waited… and waited… and then he looked up nervously to see them all looking at him.

"Go in kid, we all know yer dyin' to see her," Ivy supplied with a simple smile.

Player was relieved, and nodded, turning quickly to follow the nurse to Carmen's room.

He'd thank them properly after he saw his best friend  _ alive. _

The nurse left after leading him to the door and telling him to not be too loud.

He knocked on the door, and then walked in silently, letting the door click shut softly behind him.

He turned to see Carmen sitting up in the hospital bed, grey eyes tired, but soft. 

Her red hat was on the bedside.

She looked surprised for a moment, then a smile slipped onto her lips and she gestured him over.

"Hey, Player." She greeted with a little wave.

The dam Player had been holding back  _ broke. _ He lunged forward and hugged Carmen, tears involuntary slipping down his cheeks as he wrapped his arms tightly around her.

She easily returned the embrace.

"Don't scare me like that  _ ever  _ again," he said as he pulled away, wiping tears from his cheeks.

Carmen quirked a lip, looking a tad embarrassed.

"I won't, I'm right here Player," she assured softly, "Told you I was fine."

He punched her arm lightly and a smirk fell onto his face.

"Nice to finally meet you in person, Red," Player said easily, the heavy atmosphere gone and replaced like the good ole days.

Carmen chuckled and smirked, grey eyes glinting.

"Same here, didn’t really think you'd be this short," she teased.

Player gaped at her and went into a tangent on how Ivy and Zac said the same thing, and that he was perfectly average for his size.

He was glad though.

Carmen was safe.

His best friend was alright.

  
Maybe he should consider staying a little closer from now on, because he knew he would  _ never  _ get that Close to losing Carmen ever again.

**Author's Note:**

> WE NEED MORE CARMEN SANDEIGO FICS I SWEAR. I was looking for snow fics and I was like "HOW ARE THERE NONE" so I wrote one. HA. Probably why your here tbh. Honestly tho, who doesn't love a good winter/snow fic with hurt and angst. It's like never boring lol. 
> 
> Anywhooo, this is done so if anyone was even thinking "Keep going' NAH. NOT HAPPENING. XD Hope ya'll enjoyed though, I'm going to start Posting on Ao3 more, but I also write stuff on Wattpad and FFN if ya need more.
> 
> Thanks for reading!!


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